


Next time, please give me a prior warning

by hanhanhan156



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And Erik is displeased, And a Polish landlord, But not very canon at least, But then wild Erik appears, Charles is annoying, Charles is fed up with his life, Erik is gonna have a cat, Erik tries to act he doesn't care, Fluff, I honestly don't know all the details yet, M/M, and drunk, but he fails, lots of headcanons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-07-19 14:57:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19975975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanhanhan156/pseuds/hanhanhan156
Summary: Charles Francis Xavier - who recently broke up with his girlfriend - is a lonely professor who spends most of his time either in the university or in various taverns trying to forget his dull life. Surprisingly, on one bar evening, a mysterious dark figure appears, and both of their lives start to change unexpectedly.





	1. Overture

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya to the lovely Cherik fandom! ^__~
> 
> Have been a stalker to Cherik content for too many years now. I had this idea of an alternate meeting for the guys for ages, but was too scared/critical to myself because English is not my first language. Well, suddenly after almost 5 years, one night (when I was supposed to sleep, lol) the idea popped up in my mind more precisely finally, and here is the result.
> 
> The fic is not completed yet, and I honestly even don't know where it will go in the end. I'll just enjoy the ride and let my imagination guide me freely. At least not so much X-Men stuff or characters, I want to concentrate on more to the guys' relationship and how they'll impact each other.
> 
> Many credits go to my betareaders: GoddessOfDestruction, Belgianreader2 and g33kyclassic for their effort!

Charles wasn’t really sure why he had chosen to spend his precious free time at a bar on a Saturday night, hanging out with his colleagues, and a few students he recognized from his lectures. Once again, after several victorious Beer Pong -tournaments and a few inebriated pool matches, even his - a telepath’s - thick web of neurons had gone blurry. Maybe he actually knew the reason behind the heavy drinking, but he didn’t want to say it out loud: life had slowly but steadily started to repeat itself, and most of his everyday life had become - to be honest - pretty dull. After several years of arduous studies on multiple subjects, from psychology to genetics (the latter being the field in which he got his degree from) he felt now that he had already reached the culmination of his career. When he was young, he had sworn that he wouldn’t become as grey and frustrated as his own professors - who tended to teach using their ancient notes shown via an even more ancient overhead projector. But now, much to his horror, he noticed the same traits in himself.

Recently he had been wanting and seeking excitement, and new experiences. Apparently, partying was the only thing that could feed that void, at least momentarily. On a typical bar night, he was seeking attention, usually accomplished by superbly succeeding in pub quizzes, drinking his colleagues under the table, charming females with his cute ocean-blue eyes and buying their favorite drinks with the help of telepathic skills. His cheerfulness was ostensible though, just a mask to hide behind of, a defence mechanism to protect his empty, inner self. For someone who could read other people’s minds, he usually ignored his own - it was such a mess that he didn’t want to dive in it, preferring to keep a fair distance from his own confusing thoughts, fearing the danger of drowning into his own mind.

When Charles was intoxicated, he tended to be social and talkative, but something was different tonight. He was staring at the people gathered around him - and at the way they faked joy, like him - when he suddenly felt an unpleasant twist in his stomach. He felt anxious and not completely sure why so. Was his life really supposed to be like this? Weekdays filling with teaching his former passion to students who seemed to be more into scrolling Tinder than concentrating on his lectures, and weekends leaning on the miraculous, powerful effects of alcohol that could only be found in terrible pubs such as this one, where people only came for one of two reasons: to drink and to find someone to forget their troubles with in a primitive way. Deep down in his soul he definitely knew that there had to be a change, but he didn’t have the energy to figure out the what and why of that question. He felt like he would give anything to get back the passion and inner fire that had guided him through the successful years – first as a student with excellent grades and later as a newly graduated professor - until the wall had finally become too great to surpass.

At least, he could list one particular reason for the heavy alcohol consumption - he had recently, and painfully let it be said - changed his relationship status from “in a relationship” to “a single”. 

_Moira MacTaggert_. 

That name still made him sigh painfully, even though it had almost been six months since their breakup. His ex had quickly found herself a new partner, while Charles spent most of his time either in his own office, or in the dusty biology’s section of the university’s library, because sulking alone at home wasn’t really an appealing way to handle the sorrow. The woman’s Instagram updates felt like stabbing an already open wound; she looked so happy in every picture, but this time with someone else other than him. Charles would have wanted that kind of life, the one seen on her – or actually _theirs -_ happy pictures: a nice, stable relationship, and maybe, later on, even a family. The truth though had been like a slap to the face when Moira announced one winter evening that this was it. No further explanations. Of course, Charles hadn’t resisted the urge to use his powers to try to figure out what was going on, but it didn’t help. It seemed like their relationship had just missed that infamous _something_. He sighed once again and really wanted to have something else to think about for a change.

So here he was, trying to kill some time with youngsters whose lust for life propelled them like a bullet train, and which just made him to feel more like a lost cause. He had no future plans to long for anymore, and his once obvious idealism and hopefulness had now made way for the rants of an old man. Slowly, but steadily he had changed into a person he never wanted to be. _How ironic was that_ , he thought himself bitterly.

If, by chance, he was so unlucky that Moira would suddenly enter this bar with her new partner, that would be way too much and only help in plunging him further down into a pit of despair, in which he was already sinking little by little. Holy hell. Just the thought made the lump in his throat feel harder to swallow. Now he desperately needed some fresh air. He felt ambivalent: right now he would like to chat with someone but, on the other hand, he really didn’t want to make superficial small talk, especially with his colleagues who already considered him strange enough. It was better to isolate a bit and entertain himself by reading other people’s thoughts. Especially the youngsters - who were high on the temporary freedom offered by their student life, before all the responsibilities of family and paying back their student loans - were in a boisterous mood as Charles monitored them on the bar’s terrace.

_Oh man, I’m already soooo drunk…fuck this is so cool…_

_Should I talk to that cute guy inside…maybe after this drink…_

_Tonight, this guy is gonna get some pussy!_

Charles shook his head amused. It seemed like despite its extensive evolution, Homo Sapiens still focused on the things it considered sacred: messing with its head and reproduction.

“Good luck on the hunt for that pussy,” Charles blurted out, patting the shoulder of the guy who, moments ago, was acting so confident to his pals. The boy could only stare, astounded, hearing his friends’ laugh behind him while the professor disappeared into the crowd.

A mild spring evening like tonight’s could have been really charming - with all the twinkling stars above him and a soft breeze blowing, giving a hint of the upcoming summer - if his emotions weren’t in such a sensitive mood right now. Charles tried his best to not to look at the disgusting cuddling and kissing couples who seemed to be gathered here, right into this specific bar, just to tease him. He wished while reading minds here, he could find something other than just the same old themes about romance and erotic feelings. Maybe he should go back home and sulk alone again with a bottle of red wine.

He took the last sip from his wine glass and was just about to leave when suddenly something, or more accurately _someone_ , unusual popped up in his mind. It was something unexplainable and it really arose the professor’s interest. This person didn’t seem to fit the typical bar customer, with primitive booze and mating-filled thoughts. There was something about this person that Charles couldn’t quite yet put a finger on, even though he usually was pretty good at reading people, even without the aid of telepathy. He could sense that this person’s mindset was resolute, gloomy, and a bit dramatic, even melancholic. Charles wasn’t satisfied only reading this person from the distance. _Go for it now, take the offered opportunity, before it’s too late,_ the voice in the back of his head whispered to him. He straightened his back and tried to act as cool as he could in the intoxicated mood.

Distinctively isolated from the rest of the masses, the fascinating person was easy to locate. 

“Hi,” Charles blurted out in an exaggeratedly cheerful tone.

The man wearing a tight-fitting suit and a hat didn’t reply, or didn’t even bother to spare him a glance. Instead, he continued to sip on his whisky, staring into the distance with a pensive look.

With a newly found courage fueled by the alcohol, Charles leaned in closer to the man and repeated the greeting in a louder tone, waving his hand in front of the incognito’s face. 

“HI!”

Now, finally, the guy’s - who resembled a 40’s gangster by his style - interest seemed to be sparked. “Are you trying to sell something, or what?” he snorted, clearly annoyed.

Charles was taken aback by the man’s cocky attitude. “Well, last time when I checked, starting a conversation with a stranger was quite normal behaviour for a bar.

“Don’t you already have enough other alternatives?” the other man said dryly, pointing at the people on the terrace.

Charles inched closer, now being right in front of the man dressed in dark. “None of them are as interesting as you, my friend.”

The other man frowned, astonished by the interruption of his own peace. Why did that guy came straight to him, ignoring personal boundaries - which he valued so deeply - and just stared at him like that? His glazed over eyes were gawking at him, which made him feel uncomfortable. It almost seemed like he was staring right into his soul, even though they had never met before.

The man gulped and held the handrail behind him like it was his last protection against the drunken man’s, inquisitive gaze. “Could you just tell me what on earth it is you want from me?”

“What’s your name?”

It was a simple question. He didn’t want to answer, but was technically forced to, so he could eventually get out of this obnoxious situation. “Erik.”

“Charles”

Finally, to Erik’s relief, the rude intruder stepped back and gave him some space. “Nice to meet you, _Erik._ ” He repeated the name as if he was tasting it in his mouth, trying to give a definition to a new word he had just learnt.

There was a brief silent moment while Charles tried to make up something coherent to say.

“Well Erik, how’s the party going?”

“Boring.” 

To that comment, Charles gave a dry laugh. “You sure are a man of few words then.”

Erik stared at a man who was almost a head shorter than him and hissed mockingly: “The wise fall silent when morons keep talking bullshit.”

His tactic was to spite until he hopefully would get rid of this torment called Charles. He was actually already thinking of leaving this miserable bar anyway, so he just needed a reason to do so. The unexpected social interaction wasn’t something he had ordered and until now Erik had always managed to be in his own company. The reasons for that were probably his classy gangster-looking clothes and that constant chilly expression he sported.

Unfortunately, this guy had more guts than what Erik first assumed. “Come on, the world isn’t all black and white. You should know that, that kind of dichotomic partition is an old-fashioned concept. We all have a bit of wise man and a bit of moron inside us. And you have to admit that bullshit is absolutely necessary for the new growth.” Charles really enjoyed this kind of argument and he often hoped that he could debate also his students who too frequently seemed to be stagnant zombies of social media.

Erik really didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry. “Has it really gone to this? Am I really now standing here, talking about bullshit with some random, annoying guy?” he accidentally spoke his thoughts out loud even though they were meant just to himself.

Charles grinned, almost flirtatiously, at that. “Well, if I was really that annoying, you would have left already, am I right?”

_That’s it_ , Erik thought. He’d had enough. He sensed that this guy was used to always get what he wanted, and this time Erik wasn’t willing to give him that honor. This evening - especially this weird scene - was getting more and more awkward and he didn’t have anything witty to say anymore. This was obviously his cue to leave.

But suddenly Charles grabbed his arm.

“Where on Earth do you think you are going just when the things started to get fun?”

“Your idea of fun seems to be a tiny bit different than mine.”

Charles was loving every second of this. With just a minimum effort he could have used his abilities to force Erik to do anything – even to do forward rolls naked right here in public or something equally as embarrassing - and he’d stay, just like that, with a tiny bit of mind controlling. However, that was out of question because he wanted to get to know this man without any magic tricks.

Maybe instead of teasing, another kind of tactic could work - flattery, perhaps? “Erik, I’m sorry. It would be lovely if you stayed with me. You really are the only one captivating here and now you are about to leave just when the things started to getting interesting. Please, stay. We could have another drink or go somewhere else if you’d like.”

For a second, Erik really considered staying. Yes, this guy was really irritating and also _yes_ , he seemed like a possible lunatic. He just really didn’t get why Charles had spotted him even though he had really tried his best to blend in with the crowd. He was a true hermit and wanted to stay that way, even if it was at the cost of rejecting someone who wanted to befriend him.

He defensively backed away from Charles and grunted: “Listen: you don’t know who I am and trust me, you really don’t want to. It’s better for both of us that you stay away from me. Find yourself some other company. Enjoy your evening.”

In no time, the tall figure had disappeared into darkness, leaving Charles behind, confusion dawning upon his face. Had he really been that horrible that the new man had to escape from him that quickly? Would he ever see him again?

Charles could only stare at the place, where Erik had stood a couple of minutes ago, confused about everything that had happened. Maybe it was best to leave as well and forget the whole incident.


	2. Scarface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik and Charles go their own ways, but the night turns out to be far from a typical bar night.  
> Or in other words: I'm sorry for you Charles, but thank god, Erik is there for you.

Home was an hour away, and yet, Charles decided to go by foot even though it meant walking in the darkness, alone. He didn’t have any clue what time it was, but probably, it was way too late already. Well, fortunately it was Sunday, so he could nurse the upcoming hangover in peace, safe from the curious gazes of the students. The incidents at the bar had left a burning feeling in his stomach, so at this stage, a little bit of fresh air was welcoming. The night was pleasantly warm and could have been actually quite adorable in any other situation. Only thing he could think about was the man he had just met. What kind of guy was this Erik and why was he alone at the bar, usually filled with teachers and students? He had never seen him at work, so he must have been just a random outsider - and definitely an attractive one, it had to be said. He had to figure out a way to find him later, and perhaps, arrange a meeting. Charles felt butterflies in his stomach from just thinking about another meeting with the classy, moody man.

While lost in his own thoughts, he abruptly sensed something threatening nearby. Soon he noticed that he was being followed by some stranger. An ounce of panic aroused inside him, but Charles tried to convince himself that everything was ok. Maybe the foreign guy was just one of the harmless hobos who were known to wander around aimlessly and talk nonsense to the unlucky passersby. The follower seemed to be quite stubborn though, and Charles’ attempts to disappear into the side alleys didn’t succeed in losing him.

In a minute - and another failed attempt to escape - he could hear an aggressive voice behind him: “Stop, for fuck’s sake! I’ve been looking for you so long and now you, you bastard, are finally here!”

Charles thought that maybe he could handle this with some sophisticated diplomacy. Or maybe, the guy would leave if he gave him some money. A couple of pounds wouldn’t be a big loss if it would give him a chance to escape this whole situation.

But, the grimy guy just carried on, now with more aggressive tone, as if his victim’s lack of reaction had annoyed him even more: “You fucking piece of shit, where is my money? Fucking hell, answer me!”

Charles was completely dumbfounded, and this time, not only because he’d had too much to drink. A moment ago he was strolling peacefully, alone, when suddenly some random guy appeared and demanded some money from him. _What is this all about?_

“I am terribly sorry, but I have no idea what you are talking about. But, if you are in need of money for food or something else, I can help you of course, just ask.”

The not-so-harmless hobo wasn’t really convinced and came to stand just a couple of inches away from Charles’ face. ”Oh my, now you are being so polite, aren’t you? Well listen to this: fuck you! You took my woman away and now you cannot give me the money you promised from the junk we sold!” the infuriated man shouted, shaking Charles by his shoulders at the same time. If the telepath hadn’t have been so drunk, he would have tried to intrude into the man’s brain and cool him down mentally. At least he understood now that this guy was so wasted - from only god knows what - that he apparently had mistaken him for somebody else.

“Please, calm down. You’re barking up the wrong tree, mate. I swear that I really don’t have that money you keep talking about. I am pretty sure that you are looking for somebody else this time.”

To his horror, Charles noticed that the filthy junkie was dragging a knife out of his pocket without even bothering to listen to anything he had just said. “You are lying, you piece of shit. I will stab you to death if you are not gonna tell me, where is the bloody money you promised!”

Charles saw a flash of metal in the man’s hand which sparked an immediate fight or flight-reaction in him. The attempted diplomacy was now completely vanished. He really didn’t want to brawl, besides, the delirious man was way too burly compared to him, so the only option was to get out of here, as swiftly as he could.

He prepared for the escape, but unfortunately, he stumbled on something - perhaps his own feet or something in the ground. He felt a hollow whack to his head, and while pressing his hand against the injury, he could only feel the warm red liquid trickling through his fingers, dripping to the dirty tarmac. The pain pierced his head like a bullet, leaving him to see stars and other colorful patterns dancing in his eyes. In the end, he couldn’t even turn his head.

_So, this is it. What an ironic night to die._

In the dark, eerie streets, melancholic Erik was without a question in his own element. Yes, he knew it was dangerous to wander around these suburbs during the nighttime, on the weekend, but he was pretty sure that his ominous looks would be to his benefit, keeping the undesired encounters at bay. He was entertaining himself by twirling two tiny metal marbles in the air, as if they were his own anti-stress toys. If somebody knew that he could control metal with his bare hands, he would probably be poked and probed by curious doctors and scientists before being sent to a mental institute or even jail. The thought made him to shiver. Thank god there was nobody around so he could have his little fun all by himself.

He was thinking about the strange encounter with Charles. Usually, people were afraid to approach him, so mostly they just avoided him as best as they could. Erik didn’t have any friends and he didn’t keep in touch with the remaining family members he had. With colleagues, he always kept a polite distance. But, against all expectations, the man he had encountered tonight, had befriended him with a surprising confidence, as if they had already known each other from somewhere. In a weird way - Erik had to admit - it would be actually pretty interesting to know Charles better. At least - for some unexplainable reasons - he didn’t seem like an ordinary person. _But, of course it will never happen_. Social skills had always been his deficiency, so in interactions, he usually tended to use the tactic he was the best at - to act like he didn’t care about anyone, and to despise whoever had the courage to come to talk with him. But this time, it felt so bad that he had treated Charles as if he had been the biggest asshole on the planet. _Maybe this time, I just overreacted a tiny bit_ , Erik finally admitted. Well, there was nothing he could do about it now, and he was pretty sure that he would never see Charles again. He didn’t even know his surname or any other personal information, so it was technically impossible to find him without a lot of effort.

He was woken up from his thoughts by a cacophony of random noises. Erik was pretty sure that the local junkies were on the move. He didn’t mind it so much at first; if not drug addicts, then probably some kind of gang fight going on in which he didn’t want to be any part of. He was just about to turn into a side alley to avoid the encounter, when he suddenly felt a strong urge to check out the situation - just in case.

As he got closer and was actually seeing what was going on, his former tiptoeing changed into running. This wasn’t a typical gang fight at all.

“You are lying, you piece of shit. I will stab you to death if you are not gonna tell me, where is the money you promised!” Erik heard the junkie shouting and saw someone falling in the ground right after.

_Now it’s the time to act, before anything irreversible happens._

Erik didn’t announce his arrival any way, so the aggressive guy was totally dumbfounded when the blade flew through the air from his hand, this time pointing at its owner.

“How about you go to hell, or you’d be the one to be stabbed to death this time?” he said, trying badly to sound convincing, even though he had to struggle to keep his voice steady when he was trembling. 

To his fortune, the junkie got so scared that he disappeared quickly into the dark night despite Erik’s unstable tone. Normally, Erik was really particular about not showing his metal controlling skills in public, but now he was so distraught about the whole situation that he didn’t even realize that he had just moved a metal piece in the air, right here, in the middle of the streets. No, this time he had some more important to think about. There was a person lying in a pool of blood in front of the stairs. _Holy hell, did that junkie already kill an innocent victim?_ The thought sent shivers down his spine despite the surprisingly warm evening. He knew that he couldn’t leave this poor victim alone, so he had to help him, _now._

For a second, he tried to recall all the first aid skills, which they’d learned recently in a first-aid class held at work, even though he didn’t even have a proper first aid kit. Well, clothes and tissues were enough in this case. _Am I going to need to perform CPR?_ A scary thought came up to his head, but he quickly shrugged it away. _Whatever, I’ll do it, if necessary._ In this adrenaline boost he was ready for anything. He rolled the lying man around, just about to call the ambulance, when suddenly…

_Oh shit, it can’t be…_

The phone slipped from his hand to the ground, and all the recently learned skills suddenly vanished from Erik’s memory, when he recognized the victim.

“Scheisse…unmöglich…” he swore out loud in his mother tongue.

Even though Charles had been annoying, of course Erik didn’t want him to be dead. Was this some kind of bad karma? Was there some nasty jinx making fun of him?

Erik felt responsible for these miserable events even though, in reality, there was no way he could have predicted them.

Hands shaking, he touched the other man’s neck to make sure there still was a pulse.

_Gott sei dank._

It was barely there, but at least, better than nothing. It seemed that Charles had hit his head so hard that he had passed out. The pool of blood on the stairs seemed to grow bigger and bigger, and Erik was suddenly dizzy. Nevertheless, he still tried to wipe the blood off of his face, but with no use. The deep wound seemed like it would never stop bleeding.

“Charles, CHARLES!! Can you hear me?!” Erik cried out loud in the silent night, but there was no response, only some distant traffic noises.

 _Alles ist gut…beruhige dich…_ He tried to calm himself, fighting against the shallow breathing and trembling body the same time. After a moment, it seemed finally to work, so he managed to grab his phone again and call emergency services, though he couldn’t for the life of him remember what he said in the phone. The words came out of nowhere. At the same time, he was still trying to stop the bleeding from Charles’ head, sobbing silently at the miserable situation.

“Charles, I..I’m so sorry, how could this even happen...I’m so sorry…”

On that night he was convinced that - once again in his life - he was witnessing someone dying.

* * *

With the bright fluorescent light shining down on the face, it was impossible to rest, even if you were exhausted as hell. A moment ago, when they had stepped in through the sliding doors, and a familiar, dull smell of disinfectant had welcomed them, Erik remembered why he loathed hospitals. They smelled of death and decay.

”Are you this patient’s partner?” the nurse had asked when they had arrived in the hospital. Charles was hurried for treatment while Erik remained in eerily silent waiting room.

“No, just a random passer-by.”

“Alright. Anyways, thank you for your help, you’ve done all you can now. You can leave, and we will contact the patient’s family later.”

“Can you at least tell me, what happened to him? Is it anything serious?”

“We’re still examining him, so unfortunately, I don’t have any specific details yet. Thanks to your quick acting, there shouldn’t be a life-threatening injury though.”

Erik nodded. At least that information made it possible for him to relax a little bit.

Before leaving home, Erik headed outside for a smoke. Apparently, thanks to him, Charles was safe now. He had never considered himself as an any kind of hero - actually, the complete opposite. It was totally absurd. Adrenalin was flowing from synapse to synapse inside his body, and he was sure that his heart rate would never go back to normal. Also, the annoying shaking of his hands made even a simple task as smoking like a challenge.

The nurse had told Erik that he had done enough for tonight and the hospital staff was now taking care of everything to keep Charles safe and healthy. But, still after all this, for some reason, he thought that it was not right to leave now. He really wanted to see with his own eyes that Charles was fine. He would never have inner peace otherwise - the image of the man lying in the blood pool was still so vivid in his memory. And what if Charles didn’t have any friends or family members available? How would he get home with half of his head crushed? Erik shivered from the terrible thought. He wanted to be responsible, so he decided to go back to wait for Charles. It was the least he could do.

While sitting bored in the dull waiting room - amongst the few other worried people there, waiting for their loved ones to come back safely - he felt like being a part of some cheesy ER episode. Erik flipped through the pages of outdated, dumb gossip magazines and watched brainless sitcoms, and yet, the hours didn’t seem to pass fast enough. A nasty feeling kept creeping up inside him as the night slowly turned into a morning. The nurse had said that the situation wasn’t very concerning so what was taking so long anyway? Was there something unexpectedly serious, despite the calming words before?

Erik really didn’t know what was going on. His head was aching from worry and exhaustion. He was still a bit drunk, but fortunately, not too much to have a hangover. He smiled to himself for the thought of how drunk Charles must have been when they took him here. Maybe it was better, so he wouldn’t remember much from the traumatic evening and the operations he was going through.

Erik stood up and went for a walk to the corridors, to stretch his numb limbs a bit. He had been dozing off and on and he was pretty sure that if he kept sitting, he’d fall asleep for real. He roamed aimlessly around the empty hospital. It was refreshing at first, but after a while, it turned out to be pretty distressing to walk alone there, hearing own steps echoing in the corridors. Erik wished that he could play with all the metal tools he saw in the rooms, but now wasn’t the right time, even though there was nobody around.

Erik returned to his original spot, sat down to the uncomfortable seat again and tried to fight against yawning. Eyelids felt heavy as led.

He didn’t realize that he actually fell asleep until hearing a woman’s voice.

“Excuse me, sir?”

He opened his eyes slowly, rubbing them like it would make him to wake up faster. He pushed himself back to a sitting position and tried not to look so drowsy. “Mmh, yes? What’s the matter?”

_Where am I? Is this still a dream?_

“You came here with Mr. Xavier earlier, am I correct?”

“Mr, who?” Erik now realized that he was in the hospital still, but didn’t recognize the name he’d been asked about.

“Charles Xavier.”

He heard the man’s surname the first time and thought it sounded fascinating. “Umm, yeah, we came here with…Mr…umm…Xavier earlier.” 

“He is now ready to go home, but we had difficulties to contact any of his family members or friends. Seems like all of them live abroad, so obviously, they are unable to come and get him.”

“Ok? What does that mean then?” Erik could already assume what was the answer, but asked anyway.

“So apparently, at the moment, you seem to be the closest person to him who we can access, so would it be too much to ask you to escort him back home? We are quite crowded here and it’s way too dangerous to send him alone, so there needs to be somebody to look after him in his condition.”

“O-of course. I’ll handle it.”

The nurse nodded and disappeared from the waiting room. Soon, she came back with a bunch of papers and medicine prescriptions, which she handed to Erik. For a second, he had the urge to read the papers, but in the end, he just folded the papers in half and quickly put them in the pocket of his jacket. He felt a bit uneasy just about the thought of reading the other man’s personal information.

Charles was soon back and to be honest, he looked - and also felt, Erik bet - horrible.

After the nurse was gone Erik tried to talk with Charles, even though he looked like he was barely on the edge of consciousness.

“Charles, is everything ok? Are you in pain? Do you need anything?”

Charles opened his eyes a bit and turned his head. Erik gulped when he saw the long scar on the man’s face, only a couple of inches away from his eye. _Shit, that was close_.

“W-who are you?” Charles mumbled, struggling to speak. “A-and…what…” he looked around the unfamiliar place, confused, and continued: “is t-this place?”

“I’m Erik, we met in a bar just a couple of hours ago, don’t you remember?”

Charles stared at the painting on the wall with a blank look. “E…rik?”

Was he still that drunk or had the concussion really been that bad? “How could I make it short… well, we met in a bar, you tried to talk to me, but I was, to be honest…quite an ass towards you. Then we somehow crossed paths again and then…” Erik was suddenly so nervous that he could feel all the metal in the room. He tried his best to concentrate on speaking though and continued: “Something…pretty horrible happened to you when you were on the streets, walking home, and I had to bring you here… to be taken care of.”

But Charles didn’t say a single word anymore. He seemed like he was asleep, on drugs, or too drunk. Maybe a mixture of all of them.

“We should get out of here. Can you walk by yourself?”

Again, no answer, so Erik had to help Charles - half-way dragging the man by his armpits - outside to a bench. After calling a taxi, the time seemed to be frozen. Erik was tapping his fingers on the bench’s handle, trying to act as normal as possible. What a strange evening indeed which seemed it had gotten even stranger than he could have imagined.

For poor Charles it looked like it was difficult to be in a comfortable - or at least tolerable - position. Erik tried his best to help the injured man - putting some clothes under his head - but nothing really seemed to work. Every time Charles tried to move, he moaned so painfully that it hurt - almost physically - Erik too. What could he do to help him? After a brief thinking, something came up into Erik’s mind. 

“This is going nowhere, so I have to move you a bit. It’s going to hurt, so I apologize beforehand.”

As carefully as he could, Erik positioned Charles so that he was now resting his head in his lap. At first, there were some, painful moans again, but finally, after some repositioning, Charles seemed to calm down a bit. Normally, this would have been way too intimate for someone like Erik - who felt uncomfortable about the proximity of other people - but right now, he just decided not to care anymore. At least at this time of the day, there was nobody around, so it wasn’t as awkward as it would have normally been.

The injuries, inflicted on Charles’ pretty face, weren’t really a nice sight. The bloody scar next to his eye looked pretty nasty and Erik could only wonder how much it had hurt. He gulped when he remembered the blood flow he desperately tried to stop only a couple of hours ago. Charles’ lower jaw had also gotten a pretty bad hit and it was swollen from the left side. It looked like - at least for the next few days - his face was going to be left with blood, purple bruises and at least one, huge scar. Erik pitied the poor man, especially when thinking that in the morning, the painkillers effect will be worn out and the pain will come back - and no doubt, with an obnoxious hangover. Hopefully the medication would make him to feel better - at least momentarily - so he could sleep.

Erik tried his best not to scrutinize the other man’s face too much, but in the end, he didn’t only concentrate on the damages, but was also curiously examining the other man’s features in general. The images from their discussion in the bar were still sharp in his mind and he remembered thinking: how on earth can somebody have eyes so blue? In this state, napping on his lap, looking so peaceful, Charles resembled like a grotesque version of Sleeping Beauty. Erik really didn’t think that Charles looked terrible in general, just what he had gone through was horrible. Instead, Erik had to admit that Charles was actually a pretty nice sight. Especially the brown curls, which looked irresistible soft. _Get well soon_ , Erik was sending comforting thoughts - secretly hoping that Charles would receive them - and without even noticing it, he was stroking the other man’s hair gently and _yes_ , it felt as soft as it looked.

When suddenly waking up from his dream-like state, realizing what he was doing, Erik immediately retreated his hand back to the bench. He gave a nervous little laugh at himself. He was convincing himself that it was ok, Charles couldn’t have realized that he had been touching his hair and adoring his face. _He is unconscious and there is no way that he could have heard what you’ve been thinking. Mind reading is only possible in fairytales._

_…or is it?_

_Why am I even thinking about this? Of course it is._

_Maybe I am just too drunk and tired and…lonely._

_No way, you’ve always been asocial, and you are doing just fine by yourself, right? How could it suddenly change?_

_But if I don’t like people, why does this still feel so nice to be with him? Is he then some kind of…special person?_

Erik was dumbfounded by his conflicting thoughts.

* * *

They finally ended up to Charles’ house and Erik was surprised by the posh neighborhood. The trip had gone well, without any surprising incidents, even though Erik hoped that the driver didn’t notice that Charles was resting his head on his shoulder the whole trip, looking so content. Maybe the driver thought they were a couple. Who knows, but it didn’t really bother Erik so much.

“Charles, where are your keys? And don’t say you forgot them in the hospital, or we are screwed.” 

Once again, Charles didn’t answer anything to Erik’s question, instead, he was trying to dig through his pockets with no success. Erik knew that in this state, even getting the keys was too challenging for the other man, so after a short search, he just took them from a pocket himself.

After getting inside, Erik somehow managed to drag the limp Charles to his bed. He was exhausted as hell as well and wondered, how on earth did this happen: being at a stranger’s house at 6:30am, drunk and tired and with no idea how to get home. Usually, on weekdays, he would be on his way to work at this time in the morning.

“You are home now, Charles. Try to have some rest.” Erik tried to sound as soothing as he could. The answer from the other man was just some unclear mumbling. Did he even comprehend that Erik carried him back to his own bed? It was hard to tell.

Erik closed the bedroom’s door behind and sat on the living room’s armchair. Just a small rest couldn’t do any harm before trying to figure out a way to get home.

Within a moment, the little rest turned into a deep sleep.

In his dream, Erik was standing in front of Charles, in some unfamiliar place. It seemed to be an oriental garden Erik had never been to before. Charles looked a bit younger than in real life, and no bruises or scars on his face. He was smiling brightly when he approached the taller man.

 _Erik, I can’t even describe how grateful I am to you. You saved my life, and I owe you more than I could ever repay. Sleep as long as you like, it’s totally fine that you are staying here,_ Charles said, caressing Erik’s cheek. They were so close, and Erik felt his own face getting slightly warm. _One thing I just don’t understand is why you decided to choose the most uncomfortable place to sleep in my house. There are several other, better alternatives,_ the younger man chuckled, trying to relax the tense atmosphere.

_I don’t understand. H-how did you notice? You are unconscious…sleeping in your bed. But where the hell am I…I don’t understand anything anymore. I’m confused…_

Erik’s amazement made Charles burst out laughing. _You are inside my head, my friend. Or technically, our neurons are entwined, but physically, we are in my mind. Usually, it doesn’t happen this easily though…it’s like we were bonded immediately. How fascinating. This never happened with Moira._

But Erik didn’t listen to what Charles had just said. _B-b-but mind control stuff happens only in movies and stories, right? What the hell? H-have I taken some acid or what? Scheisse…_ The whole scene reminded him of that wannabe-clever movie Inception. 

After a while, he relaxed, when he came into a conclusion what was this all about. _Okay, I see it now. I’m in a dream and I’m drunk, so that explains a lot. Very funny…_

Being still really close to each other, Charles leaned forward and whispered right next to other man’s ear: _You really think this is only a drunken dream? I assure you, everything is not as it seems. Not at all. But you are safe, my friend. Now, just rest. You will have an explanation for all of this later, I promise. I just wanted to say thank you, and you know given this state I’m in physically now, I couldn’t do it earlier._

_Sleep well, my friend. I am going to rest as well. It’s been a rough night for both of us._

Charles finally stepped back and disappeared into the darkness.

 _W-wait!!_ Erik shouted, but the other man was already gone, leaving him alone.

_It’s only a dream, doesn’t matter. None of this is real._

_...but how can I be sure?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the comments, kudos and subscriptions! Gives me always motivation and energy to carry on.

**Author's Note:**

> Kiitos lukemisesta, toivottavasti tykkäsit! Or in English, thanks for reading, hopefully you liked it. ;)  
> My tumblr is hanhan156, always willing to chat.


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